What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department?

When I joined ANWR Group – an internationally active trade and services group – as General Counsel for Legal & Insurance, one of my first priorities was to drive the digital transformation of the legal function. My aim is to establish structures that make legal work more transparent, efficient and better integrated with the business.

Together with colleagues from IT and external experts, we initiated the rollout of an AI-assisted contract management platform that includes contract mangement, workflow automation, deadline tracking and reporting tools. In parallel, we’re building a legal self-service portal to handle standard requests more effectively and reduce avoidable manual work.

Of course, compliance and data protection are considered throughout the process. But the core focus is on better structure, governance and scalability – with the goal of creating sustainable legal operations across our fields of service.

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company? Can you share an example of a recent legal-led initiative that had a significant impact?

At ANWR Group, the legal function is not just a support unit – it’s closely involved in shaping strategic initiatives. A good example is the complex corporate restructuring we carried out recently, which I was responsible for overseeing from a legal perspective.

This project included mergers, liquidations and new entity formations across several jurisdictions, and required coordination of employment law, real estate transfers, contract migrations and compliance structures. Working across departments and jurisdictions, we developed a legal framework that allowed the business to implement changes with clarity and control.

My role went beyond risk assessment: it was about building a clear structure, setting milestones and keeping a legal perspective integrated throughout the transformation. Projects like this show that the legal function can be a key enabler when it comes to complex change – especially when legal thinking is involved from the start.

Looking forward, what trends do you foresee in the legal landscape over the next 5–10 years that companies should prepare for?

In-house legal teams will continue to change fundamentally. We’ll see more automation, more data-driven decision-making and closer integration into the operational side of the business.

At the same time, the role of the General Counsel is shifting. It’s no longer just about technical legal knowledge – it’s about combining legal understanding with leadership, strategic insight and digital literacy. That combination will become increasingly important.

At ANWR Group, I already see this development taking shape. Expectations around legal clarity, responsiveness and structural foresight are rising. For legal departments, this offers an opportunity: to take a more active role in shaping long-term business decisions and to become a true partner in steering the organisation.